What to see in Red Fort ?

Read this article to know interested things to be seen in the Red Fort.

The Shopping Arcade of Red Fort

The pathway leads to the domed shopping arcade identified as Chatta Chowk, lined with shops in the beginning where the royal family unit used to shop for silks, brocades, velvets, gold and silver ware jewelry, gems etc. The arcade was in addition known as Meena bazar which presented fashionable shopping, just for ladies of the court on Thursdays. Nowadays the shops provide to tourists with souvenirs, antiques etc and the upper levels are the quarter of Indian Army families.

Naubat Khana and Hathi Pol

At the ending of the Chatta Chowk is the Naubat Khana the Drum house where the musicians used to play ceremonial music to adore the emperor and extraordinary tunes were played to proclaim the influx of the royalty and significant dignitaries. The drum house has four floors and it moreover used to serve as a gate house Hathi Pol where the visiting dignitaries had to put down their horses and elephants. The red sandstone walls are wonderfully decorated by means of floral designs formerly painted in gold with an internal courtyard enclosed by galleries. Although the galleries were removed as the fort had to undergo a number of alterations when it became the British Army Headquarters.

Indian War Memorial Museum - Red Fort

Just above the Naubat Khana is the Indian War Memorial Museum which has a compilation of amours, guns, swords and further items associated to war. There is the Swatantra Sangrama Sangrahalaya, the Museum of the Independence movement which displays letters, photos, newspaper cuttings positioned in the midst of the army buildings previous to Naubat Khana.

Hammams: the Royal Baths

Near to the Diwan-i-Khas is the Hammams, the Royal Baths among three apartments with surmounting of domes, it is here the royalty took hot saunas and aromatic baths The apartments on each side had hot and cold baths and are alienated by corridors by means of canals to transmit water to each room. The room at the central point has three fountain basins which used to emit rose water and it is presumed that four tonnes of wood were necessary to heat up the water. The floors of these apartments are assembled with marble and were laid with floral patterns of multicolored stones. The baths are stopped up to the public.

Moti Masjid: the Pearl Mosque at Red Fort

Adjacent to the Hammam is the Moti Masjid (Pearl Mosque), erected in 1662 by Aurangzeb, son of Shahjahan for his private use. The prayer hall of the mosque positioned on a elevated platform and is inlaid with outlines in black marble of the Musallas the mats used for prayers. The tiny mosque is entirely enclosed, made of polished marble by way of some superb decoration and having three domes. One unusual object is that the interior and exterior walls are not allied with both, although the exterior walls are in symmetry with the remaining portion of the fort, the inner walls are placed in such a way for the mosque to be appropriately facing Mecca.

Shahi Burj the Royal Pavilion of Red Fort

Shahi Burj the Royal Pavilion is the three storied tower, octagonal in shape located on the northeastern periphery of the fort was the private working place of the emperor. It was on or after the pavilion next to the tower that the stream starts on flowing south all along the royal terrace to the royal baths along with the palaces. The tower is blocked for public entry. The Yamuna River used to lap the walls of the tower but at the moment has moved back to some remoteness.